


Queen of the Castle

by little_librarian



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:20:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24189535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/little_librarian/pseuds/little_librarian
Summary: “Look, the only way to get the chalice is to form a sorority, and to do that we need your house,” Zari explains impatiently.John laughs. “And you thought you could just bat your eyes at me and I’d agree.”(Zari has a sorority and no house. Enter John Constantine, homeowner.)
Relationships: John Constantine/Zari Tomaz | Zari Tarazi
Comments: 10
Kudos: 123





	Queen of the Castle

**Author's Note:**

> Set during "Freaks and Greeks," because you can't tell me Zari convinced Constantine to hand over his home and then not show that conversation.

“Oh good, you’re still here,” Zari says as she enters the library.

John is seated at the desk, flipping through one of his musty books. He’s still without his coat and tie, and his hair is disheveled. She assumes he’s been running his hands through it while he reads.

John glances up at her and then looks back at the book. “Well, there isn’t much for me to do out there. The whole ‘rah rah, sisterhood’ thing is more your speed than mine, love.”

“My _speed_ ,” Zari says, leaning over the desk, “is whatever will bring my brother back.” Her voice is cold and biting, the tone she uses on people who think they can tell her how to run her business. It usually makes people flinch away, but John only leans forward and meets her stare.

“What do you need me for, then?” He looks intrigued rather than afraid—not the reaction she’s used to, but she finds she doesn’t mind working with it.

Zari lets her gaze drop to his lips, just for a second, and tells herself it’s just part of the plan. “We need your house.”

John is close enough now that she can feel his breath across her mouth when he whispers, “Not gonna happen.”

Zari pushes off the desk and paces away in frustration. She can’t tell if she wants to kiss him or hit him. John Constantine is every bit as stubborn as she is persuasive, and he’s likely seen every trick in her book and then some.

“Look, the only way to get the chalice is to form a sorority, and to do that we need your house,” she explains impatiently.

John laughs. “And you thought you could just bat your eyes at me and I’d agree.”

He’s right, but Zari refuses to be ashamed, despite the bit of regret she feels. She recognizes his brash, accusing tone; she’s used it often enough to hide her own disappointment. She’s not so sure now that she only wants to kiss him as part of a ploy.

“And what about you?” he asks, getting up and rounding the desk. “Miss million-dollar influencer, haven’t you got a place of your own?”

They’re only a couple of steps apart without the desk between them. There’s room to move away but Zari chooses not to, like there’s some sort of magnetism that demands all of their conversations be up close and personal.

“We’re in 2020, none of that exists yet,” she reminds him scathingly.

“Some _influence_ ,” John scoffs.

They won’t get anywhere if they keep bickering, and Zari doesn’t have time to see how long they can argue. She sighs, crosses her arms, and decides to get straight to the point.

“Okay, I get that you’re afraid of college kids or whatever.” John looks ready to object, so she slaps her hand over his mouth and thrills at how his eyes narrow but he otherwise accepts it. “But _somehow_ , you are the only person in this time period who actually owns a house. You promised you’d help save Behrad, and if you’re not going on this mission then you are going to help by letting us use your home.”

Her hard-edged words hang in the hair as she waits for an answer. John raises his eyebrows and looks pointedly down at his mouth. When she removes her hand, he says, “All right,” as casually as if they hadn’t just been fighting.

“All right?” she repeats in disbelief. “That’s it?”

“All you had to do was ask nicely,” John says, smirking.

Again, she can’t decide if she wants to kiss him in thanks or smack him in annoyance. She’s good at reading people, though, and she takes solace in thinking that she isn’t alone in this strange attraction.

“Just, ah—give me some time to clean to the place up, yeah?”

“Um, _no_. I’ve seen how you keep house, so _I_ will be the one making your place presentable.”

“I’ll just leave the talking cane out, then. And you’ll just hope no one opens the fridge or, I don’t know, reads one of the spellbooks I’ve got sitting out.”

That gives her pause, and John looks triumphantly at her while she processes.

“What the hell do you keep in your fridge?” she asks, incredulous. “Actually, no, I don’t want to know. Fine, go hide all your weird wizard stuff. You have an hour, and then it’s a sorority house.”

“As you wish,” John says sarcastically.

On impulse, Zari grabs his arm as he turns to leave and tells him, “Thank you.”

“Oh, don’t thank me yet. House like mine, there’s no way I can hide everything in an hour.” He’s making light, but there’s something genuine in his eyes that she latches onto. Something that means he cares.

Zari shoves him towards the door. She’ll deny any trace of fondness in her voice as she says, “Okay, I get it, _go_.”

Just as she thinks they’re done, John stops in the doorway. “Tell me, love,” he says, gesturing between them, “does that trick work on all the boys?”

Zari tilts her head and tries not to think about the way he had looked at her before she asked for his house. “I’m sorry, remind me how you found the ring?”

She expects a snarky response, but instead his demeanor shifts, becomes a bit more open, and he says, “That wasn’t a trick.”

He gives Zari a moment to take in the soft sincerity in his voice, rare as it is, then he’s back to being smug and confident, winking at her before disappearing down the hall.

 _Well_ , Zari thinks with vague anticipation, _that makes both of us_.


End file.
